Corner device for wagons.



EATENTED MAY 23, 1905.

W. EJOHNSON. CORNER DEVICE EOE WEEONS.

APILIUATION FILED MAR. 24, 1904.

No. l790,688.

:Patented May 23, 1905. l

-PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM T. JOHNSON, OFVHINTON, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

CORNER DEVICE FOR WAGONS- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. '790,C8?, dated May 23, 1905.

Application filed March 24, 1904. Serial No.l 199,748. l

To all whom it may concern: A

Beit known that I, WILLIAM T. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hinton, in the county of Caddo and Territory of Oklahoma, have invented new and useful Improvements in Corner Devices for Wagons, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to corner. pieces or straps for securing the sides and endsof wagonbodies together; and the primary object of the same is .to provide a simple and effective device of this class with a vertical socket and side flanges having openings therein to receive the attaching devices, and thereby obviating the necessityT of inserting securing means through the back wall of the socket.

A further object of the invention is'to provide means for readily assembling the ends, sides, and bottoms of wagons and other vehicle-boxes and which may be also-used for holding vertical extensions for the said boxes, the said means being of such structure that the bottoms, sides, and ends of the boxes may be quicklyvassembled and reliably held in connected relation. l

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists in the construction and arrangements of parts, which will be hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a vehicle-body broken through and embodying the features of the invention. Fig.

. 2 is an end elevation of the body. Fig. 3 is an elevation of one of the wagon-box sockets or straps looking toward the inner lside thereof. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on line 4 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the socket or strap. Fig. 6 is an elevation of a socket or strap *usedl in connection with a body extension.

` Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the views.

The numeral 1 designates a vehicle-body having sides 2, bottom, and ends 4,l either one of the latter beingy adapted to serve as an end-gate for the body, and, if desired, both may be removed. Against the front and rear extremities of the bottom 3 cross-bars 5 are applied, as in usual wagon-body construction.

The invention ,resides in a corner strap or socket 6, having a pair of socket-Hanges 7 i disposed in planes at right angles to a back or support 8, continuing into side lianges 9 and 10, the flange 10 of each corner socket or strap being disposed outermost and having a greater width than the innermost iiange 9 to coverin the flange 10 is an enlarged opening 12,y

close tol which a pair of the openings 1l are disposed for `a purpose which will be presently set forth.- The outer surface of the back support 8 merges into the outer surfaces of the ianges 9 and l0, so that the socket or strap may be placed closely against the inner surfaces of the sides 2 without requiring the latter to be recessed or otherwise mutilated-to receive said socket. At a point above the lower terminals of the flanges 7 the back or support 8 gradually increases in thickness, as at 13, and is formed with an inner downwardly curved beveled surface 14 to the lower ends of the flanges 7, where it merges into an integrally-depending bolt or pin '15, `,having a lower screw-threaded terminal 16. The bolts 15 of the several sockets or straps are long enough toV project downwardly through the bottom 3 and the cross-bars 5 at opposite ends of said bottom and receive nuts 17, said socket or straps being disposed in transverse alinement against the inner surfaces of the sides 2 and extending fully to the upper edges of the latter. Passing through the openings 12 of the -wide flanges 10 of i the oppositely-disposed sockets or straps are tie or binding rods 18, having heads at one end and oppositely-nutted extremities, the

said tie or binding rods also passing through the sides 2 outside of the ends 4. The heads and nutted extremities of the tie orbinding rods bear against wear-plates 19, secured against the outer surfaces of the sides by pairs of bolts 20, which are projected through the openings 11, arranged in close relation to the openings 12. The remaining openings 11 have suitable bolts passing therethrough and IOO through the sides, and after the parts have been arranged as set forth the ends 4 may be readily inserted in the sockets. The outer wide flanges 10 have a further advantage in resisting breakage when the body of the vehicle is loaded and Weight pressure of the load is imposed forcefully against the ends 4. It will be understood that this weight pressure will tend to force the ends outwardly, and the extended bearing-surface provided by the wide flanges 10 will resist this outer pressure and also any tendency thereof to loosening of the fastening devices engaging the inner flanges 9. Another advantage in the structure of the socket or strap is the increase in thickness of the lower portion of the back or support 8 above the lower ends of the flanges, by reason of the resistance to breakage being increased thereby at the point of connection of the bolt or pin l5 with the socket.

The improved sockets or straps will be made right and left, so as to always have the wide flange 10 thereof project outwardly. This wide flange also thickens the inner surface of the side beyond the end 4, over which it extends, and renders said part of the side strong and durable by relieving the same from wear which arises in ordinary wagonbox construction.

The modified form of strap or socket shown by Fig. 6 is intended for side and end extension structures to be used in connection with the wagon-box, and this socket or strap is similar in every particular to that shown by Fig. 3 with the exception of the pin or bolt l5, which is absent in the modified form, the same reference-numerals being applied to the parts of the device shown by Fig. 6 corresponding to those illustrated by Fig. 3.

It will be understood that the improved socket or strap may be varied in its proportions, dimensions, and minor details, and in the manufacture thereof suitable material may be employed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new ism A wagon-body strap comprising a support having vertical flanges extending outwardly and longitudinally from the front face portion thereof, a socket provided between the lengths of the vertical flanges and having a continuous through-opening therein, horizontal flanges of different widths extending outwardly from the opposite sides of the support and arranged at right angles with the vertical flanges, and the support between the flanges having at its lower end and extending across the same, a downwardly-curved beveled surface provided with a threaded bolt formed by a continuation of said beveled surface.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM T. JOHNSON. Witnesses:

N. P. H. VVHrru, C. S. BARRETT. 

